Poultry-brooder.



PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

E. J. HUDSON. POULTRY BROODER. APPLICATION FILED DEC.20,1904.

4' IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIII'IInIi? IIVI ENTOR BY Wm /M ATTORNEY leton, in the county-of San Luis O in the art to make and use the same.

UNITED s'rArns .BATENT OFFICE.

EFFIE JQHU DSON, OF TEMPLETON, CALIFORNIA.

POU'LTRY-PBROOD'E-R. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed December 20,1904. s mi No. 237,735.

and at same time' perrnit them to. breathe fresh air.

A further object of my invention is to provide a suitable pen adjoining the brooderbox, in which the chicks may exercise and feedand at the'same time be under ready control. I

I. attain these and other objects by'a devic'eillustrated in'the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspectiveview with a part of the brooder-box and pen cut out. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the warming-cover removed from the brooder-bOX. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the brooder-box and warming-cover suspended, a corner of the board floor cut out, and a corner of theflat cushion turned up. Fig. 5 is a View of feed-box or water-box and trough.

The broodereonsists of a wooden box with a removable cover a, sloping slightly toward the back, which maybe secured in place by eye-hooks passing t'hrough.the cover, as a, or by any simple means. the ends I are stationary, as is also the upper section offront side. 19"; but the lower section is left out out for a doorway and is closed by a movable door C with any handle, as r, andis retained in lace by perpendicular cleats 70, one on the grooder-zbox and the other on the inner side of the pen-wall. cleat also forms a support for one end of the rods for slidable partition scribed. The door slips easily between the cleats. t

The bottom of wire screen or netting 0. Upon this netting is placed a removable board floor upon which is placedfaremovable' flat cus onL.

The-rear sideB .and

means,

The latter.

therein food or water.

hereinafter detruding portion the box is made of coarse The board floor and flat cushion may be removed whenever the earth is not-too cold or Wet for chicks, and they can then benefit from contact with the earth by their feet resting thereon through the meshes of the netting, while vermin will be prevented from injuring the chicksby the size of meshes described.

The inner walls of the ends are provided with a series of bars I) b of any desired'number, upon which rests a wire'screen frame h, from 'which are suspended by a series of hooks and eyes a series oflong roundish cloth cushions h, stuffed with feathers or other suitable material for retaining the natural warmth of small chicks beneath; On .the outer ends of these walls are canvas pouches j 7' for retaining the superfluous cushions when removed from hooks in hot weather.

Adjoining-the front of 'the box is a low rectangular pen d, attached to the box by side hooks and staples m or other simple means. The end contiguous. to the box is open, corresponding with the doorway for door C. The other end and sides are constructed. of light boards to protect the chicks from cold winds, yet by reason of their low height permitting'sunshineto enter nearly every portionof the inclosure. The pen may be constructed entirely of wirenettingin warm climate.

-'A suitable hand-hole and cover (1 is pro vided in wire-netting top to. permit ready control of the chicks by hand or for moving the crossartition d slidably mounted on two para el rods (1 attached to end of frame and cleats before described. Near the bottom on both sides of the pen are openingsf to receive a portion of a feedor water trough. Fig. 5-represents such .a

trough being a ortion of a box,which is connected to the sldeso'f the pen by any-simple as books a, dropping into screweyes in the said sides. The top or cover of this box'may be fixed to raise on hinges or-be otherwise readily moved to ermit' placing The ower and .pro of the box forms a trough g, which reaches through into the'pen and from which. the chicks 'feed or drink, butcannot stand therein .b y reason of the narrow space. The high sides of the 'feed-box above the troughs retain sufficient sup satisfy the chicks all day, t e feedfalling ly of feed to \the sides also preventing outside fowls from stealing the food or drink.

In use the chicks as soon as hatched are placed in the 'brooder-box under thesuspended cushions and upon the flat floorcushion, door C is left open, and the chicks permitted torun out in the pen as soon as they desire and to there remain all day standing directly upon-the earth, except when the ground is too cold or wet, when a boardplatform may belaced under the pen, as the cover a from t e brooderbox. Tiny chicks may be limited in space by adjusting the partition d and may also be forced into the brooder-box by same partition and retained therein at night by dropping the door C into place.

The long cushions are suspended in parallel lines or rows from the warming-screen cover and in cold weather are hung so closely that their sides touch, with their lower surfaces at such a height that the backs of the chicks will just nicely reach the same. The height of the warm1ng-cover isdetermmed by the supporting parallel bars 5 6 When it is.

. desired to move the cover suspending the along the tops of the en cushions, one side thereof is raised first, which will'permit that side to pass the next higher bar, when the whole warming-cover may be raised to the desired bars and dropped into place in a similar manner, one side first. A series of ventilatin -holes '5 are arran ed walls of the broo erbox just beneath the cover a, and it is found that the heated air from the lungs of the chicks readily rises above the suspended cushions from around their sides and between them as suspended and passes out through the holes described, and fresh cool air takes its place for breathin An apron e is provided for the lower sides of the en to hang down and conform to uneven p aces in earth for a wall.

It is found that the natural warmth of the chicks will be retained to such an. extent by the suspended cushions restingupon the backs of the chicks and the flat cushion beneath their feet that no artificial heat is required in .the coldest weather. in very hot weather the warming-cover may be raised. to top of box and form barrier from the sun during the day, and the board cover a is seldom required, except in rainy weather. When the nights are very warm, it isdesirable to remove part of the suspended cushions fromtheir simple hooks and deposit the same in the pouches j The feather cushions suspended are light and can be readily raised by the chicks as the feathers of a hen, while at the same time retain the natural warmth. The chicks soon learn tosleep with their backs under the suspended cushions, while their heads and nostrils protrude out around from under the cushions and even up between the rows therebreathing fresh air.

of, thus keeping their bodies warm and This device has been found to be superior to natural mothers, and the chicks very quickly learn to'go under the suspended cushions at night without aid; The suspended cushions and under flat cushion are readily washed and dried, and the lower cushionmay be kept clean by frequently renewing a thin cover of paper or cloth, thus insuring healthy chicks.

Various attemlpts have been made to provide a brooder t at would take the place of the natural mother as does my device, but by reason of their complicated construction,-

lack of ventilation, and necessity for artificial heat havenot beenfound practicable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is I l 1. ii poultry-brooder, consisting of a pen provided with a screen-roof-and hand-hole therein and cover therefor, two parallel rods, 1

a slidable partition on rods, detachable feed boxes and troughs, apertures in sides of the I pen to receive trough portions of. the boxes;

together with a brooder-box and solid cover therefor, a wire bottom thereto beneath a removable wooden floor, supporting a flat cushion; a removable screen-frame suspending a series of long cushions stuffed with feathers,

bars to retain said frame, ouches to retain superfluous cushions, a removable door between the box and pen, substantially as shown and described.

2. A brooder consisting of a rectangular pen, provided with a hand-hole in the top,

IOC

and having or rovided with apertures in the sides, detacha le feed boxes and troughs, an apron around the lower edge of the mounted on the rods, and one endof the pen openin into a'brooder-box conti uous thereto, su stantially as shown an described.

3. A brooder, consisting of a box witha re movable sloping solid cover, two stationary ends, a stationary back, a front end the up per portion being stationary and a door ocenframe, two parallel rods, a partition slidably' cup ying the lower portion thereof, a serie's'of' bars attached to the inner walls of the ends,

wooden floor, a removableflat cushion suported by said board floor, with a rectanguar pen attached to thefroht side of'said brooder-box, substantially as shownand 'described. H f I g 4. Abrooder comprising a box with interior bars, a warming cover or frame restin on said bars, a series of ion removable clot cushions stuffed with a so t light bad heat- ;c'onductor substance suspended fromesaid warmingecover, a wire-screen floor and'a. reon the under sid e'of said frame, substantially movable wooden floor, with a removable flat as shown and described. v cushion resting upon said board floor, sub- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my stantially as shown and described. signature in presence of two witnesses.

i 5. A brooder with a warming frame or EFFIE J. HUDSON. cover made of a series of removable lon Witnesses:

cloth cushions stuffed with a soft light ba E. M. CARR,

heat-conductor substance hung up parallel MILLER. 

